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Comment by OldSchool | Hacker News Reader

I cringe every time a movie or event is reported as having "made" its gross ticket sales number. Typically 1/2 off the top goes to theaters themselves, and then all these accounting games begin. Maybe the top line is the only relatively non-fictional number but they could at least report it for what it is: ticket sales.

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I've read that these days many theaters only get 10% of the ticket sales for the first week or so at least on major films, (before dropping substantially, combined with much shorter runs. So the theaters get less than they used to as far as i know, especially that first week or so.

Interesting, that's a pretty harsh deal considering how extravagant movie theaters are expected to be these days. Considering whom they're buying from, I guess I'm not surprised.

Why? The gross sales are all consumer spending going toward people in involved in getting eyeballs on content. What number is any more honest?

I see your logic in that the number is divvied up amongst everyone along the way including the theater, so you could say "The Movie" made that amount. I doubt Hollywood is going that abstract route though.

I more get an impression like those articles that call an entrepreneur who reached $1M in sales a millionaire, as though he/she had no costs and no taxes and gets to pocket all the gross. Nothing's more important in Hollywood than money and image so I just assume their intent is more along those lines. I'd be happy to "make" $9M for anyone who first gives me $10M then.

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